Farmers tear-gassed as they try to break barriers at Delhi border

January 26, 2021 67 Views No Comment

New Delhi, January 26 (PTI): Police on Tuesday used tear gas on groups of farmers when they tried to break past barricades and cemented barriers with tractors at Delhi’s Mukarba Chowk.

Groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points of the national capital broke police barricades on Tuesday morning to force their way into the city, before the time allotted by the Delhi Police for their tractor parade.

An official said police personnel used tear gas to disperse groups of farmers coming from the Singhu border point as they tried to hold a march on the Outer Ring Road much ahead of the allotted time.

Numerous tractors bearing flags assembled at the border points of the national capital with men and women dancing on drum beats as locals gathered on both sides of the road showering flower petals them.

Security personnel have been trying to convince the farmers to stick to the plan of holding the tractor parade after the conclusion of the Republic Day parade at Rajpath.

On Sunday, Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally after the annual Republic Day parade. The protesters were told they can’t disrupt the celebrations at Rajpath even as the farmers insisted their parade will be “peaceful”.

A member of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions, leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi, said those who broke the barricades belonged to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

The protesting unions have also announced a foot march to Parliament on February 1, when the annual Budget is being presented, to press for their demands, including a repeal of the three new agriculture laws. Heavy security has been deployed in view of the ‘Kisan Gantantra Parade’ that will move into Delhi from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points.

Patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city’s supply during the Republic Day celebrations.

An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been campaing at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.